Newark graduate was principal investigator on major infertility study

Apr. 7, 2014

Newark High School graduate Courtney Lynch was the principle investigator in a recent study that showed that women with the highest levels of stress biomarkers in their saliva doubled their risk of infertility. Lynch, who was born in Newark, is director of reproductive epidemiology at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. / The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

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“Aces of Trades” is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at advocate@newarkadvocate.com or 740-328-8821.

Want more on the study?

For more information about Courtney D. Lynch’s recent study, go to medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/releases/Pages/Stress-Fertility.aspx. For a more detailed look at the study, go to humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/06/humrep.deu032.full.

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Eight years ago, Courtney D. Lynch started a study on the role of stress in infertility.

She had heard anecdotes from women for years that stress made it harder for them to get pregnant. But her objective was to prove it scientifically so women could be educated about the effects of stress before they even started trying to conceive.

Last week, the Newark native’s goal became a reality when her findings were published online in the journal “Human Reproduction” and her study was featured in articles and interviews across the country.

The study found that women participating with the highest level of a stress biomarker more than doubled their risk of infertility, compared with women with the lowest stress levels, Lynch said.

“That’s the first time this has been shown worldwide,” she said. “This is the first time we’ve been able to show scientifically, if you start out with high stress levels, it takes you longer (to get pregnant).”

As principal investigator for the study and director of reproductive epidemiology at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, Lynch has been busy talking about her research. But she’s also looking forward to upcoming studies to help women and families.

“I really wanted to do science that was important and was really going to help people, so I feel fortunate to be able to work in this area,” she said. “Anything I can do to help make people healthier and have babies, that’s a huge win.”

Lynch credits her physics teacher at Newark High School, Judy Doyle, for helping her get inspired to pursue a career in science.

“She tried to make science interesting and fun,” she said.

After studying biology at Wittenberg University, Lynch was thinking about becoming a doctor until she saw the movie “Outbreak.” She shifted her focus to epidemiology, got her master’s in public health from OSU and her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.

She then went on to do post-doctoral work at National Institutes of Health, where she started researching the connection between stress and infertility.

In 2008, Lynch moved back to central Ohio to be closer to her family and started working at OSU. Besides continuing her research, she teaches epidemiology and works with medical students, fellows and residents, teaching them how to do research and identify studies that can help their patients.

“I really feel very fortunate to be back,” she said. “I get to take all the great things I’ve learned back to central Ohio and try to improve things here.”

One of only a handful of scientists studying reproductive epidemiology, Lynch’s focus is

on optimizing natural fertility.

Instead of focusing on ways to treat infertility, Lynch tries to find ways to help women improve their reproductive health before they try to get pregnant.

“Medicine has shifted to health promotion, and it’s not as well-appreciated in the areas of reproduction and fertility,” she said. “My hope is that we can identify interventions to help people get pregnant, improve their preconception health and have a healthier pregnancy.”

Women who have medical problems that make it difficult to get pregnant or are already participating in fertility treatment need a different kind of care, Lynch said.

But she wanted to show that those who don’t have limitations can take simple, low-cost steps to improve their fertility before they are thinking of starting a family.

Stress was the first factor she and her fellow researchers tested by tracking more than 400 women for a year or until they got pregnant.

The women filled out journals and provided saliva samples that were tested for two biomarkers of chronic stress.

Stress is not the only or most important factor involved in getting pregnant, and couples should never blame themselves if they are struggling to conceive, Lynch said. But stress reduction techniques such as exercise, yoga, mediation or mindfulness are all options for those couples, Lynch said.

Women living with chronic stress might also see a benefit in using those techniques before they try to get pregnant, she said.

“We aren’t saying health promotion can take the place of medical care,” she said. “But people do have the ability to modify their health by selecting healthy behaviors, and reducing stress is just one of them.”

Lynch said she’s hoping to do more research on stress reduction techniques and the effects of factors such as alcohol use on fertility.

As a resident of New Albany, she also wants to get more involved with helping local students, especially girls, get interested in science, technology, engineering and math.

“I was a 1991 graduate of Newark High School and I never thought I would be in Columbus doing amazing things,” she said. “I feel thankful every day and hope to do whatever I can to encourage young people to dream big and reach for their goals.”